Teenagers clamoring to present new face to the world, Shanghai doctor says

People are seeking medical cosmetology procedures at a younger age to improve their appearance, according to Zhang Yuguang, a head doctor in Shanghai.

Teenage patients are commonly received, said Zhang, chief doctor in the plastic surgery department at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, one of China's most renowned medical institutions for plastic surgery.

These patients typically seek treatment to prepare for their future careers.

Zhang, who has specialized in plastic surgery for 35 years, had just concluded a surgery on a 15-year-old girl who has trained in ballet for years and wants to enroll at an art school.

Zhang said the girl has a perfect body shape, excellent basic skills, but her teacher said the student's eyes were not bright enough.

"The teacher recommended her for plastic surgery, as a dancer's eyes are an important element in capturing an audience's attention and conveying the emotion of a work," said Zhang, who performed one surgery to create double eyelids and another to lift the girl's upper eyelids.

"Her muscles in this area were weak, and the surgeries helped make her eyes look bigger," he said.

Some teenagers also opt to undergo plastic surgery on graduating from junior or senior middle schools to take on a fresh look when entering a new environment, Zhang said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been no rise in the number of medical cosmetology services at the Shanghai hospital over the past three years, but people are clearly paying increased attention to their looks, with some becoming overly concerned about their appearance, Zhang said.

He cited the example of a boy at middle school who demanded plastic surgery to make his cheekbones appear smaller because his classmates said he looked like an actor in a South Korean television soap opera.

The boy, who used to perform well in academic subjects, was seriously affected by his classmates' comments, and the standard of his work at school fell. As a result, his family decided to allow him to undergo the surgery.

Zhang said that after he receives a patient — who in nine cases out of 10 is a woman — he assesses their psychological and physical health, before discussing plans for surgery.

"Most people seeking medical cosmetology services are those hoping to start a new phase of their life. For example, some plan to start a romantic relationship, look for work, or start afresh after a divorce. The pursuit of beauty is always positive at different stages of life," he said.

Zhang sometimes turns down requests for such services, including those from people wanting to please their partner, and those who come to him with a photo of a celebrity. He said it is hard to replicate the facial features of another person, as individuals have different bone development, muscle orientation and skin texture.

Several years ago, medical cosmetology in China was heavily influenced by that in South Korea.

Zhang said some people wanted to change their facial features to an extreme extent and create an appearance contrary to the laws of nature. Now, most people's expectations for medical cosmetology procedures are to retain their original appearance as far as possible.

"This means that when we make any change to the face, we don't make it to the fullest extent," Zhang said.

Most people who have undergone such procedures keep this confidential, as the changes made are hard to detect by others.

Some parents hesitate when their children request plastic surgery, as they usually want to avoid pain and risk.

However, parents are generally becoming more open-minded, especially those whose children will go to art schools, and those who have used medical cosmetology services themselves, Zhang said.